Photos
of Columbia Cars being
built by Electric
Vehicle Company of Hartford,
Connecticut

First some information about
George H. Day,then an ad from the Hartford
City Directory of 1900and a photo taken in front of
the factory.The photos of the vehicle
construction areasare from the catalogue
published in 1900,plus images of a Gasolene
(sic) Runaboutand the Tricycle Carrierwhich are not found in later
general catalogues.There is a link to the booklet
about the Runabout.

Then comes a photograph from
1903 of Lawrence Duffieand others with three of the
oldest vehicles made by Columbia.

Next are some magazine ads from 1898 through 1901.Note the very generous
offer! [That illustration also providesa link to a 1902 illustrated
catalogue detailing the care andcharging of the Exide
battery.] Then another 1900 page, plus a First Day Cover of a
U.S. Postage Stampwhich was part of a five-stamp
set issued in 1995honoring antique automobiles.

The Electric Runabout - which
was a mainstay of the companyfor many years - is
illustrated in its earliest versions,and its longevity is shown in
an article from 1909.

Note: Figures 4 and 8 seem to
have been left out of theoriginal article
(above). The three photos below arefrom the same series, and were
included in theColumbia catalogue of
1900. Perhaps theomitted ones are now among
them...

To see a couple more
photos taken from the same perspective,within an article from 1909
about painting the cars,clickHERE.

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To see the detailed
booklet about this model, plus
photos of (perhaps) the only remaining example
as found, transported, and restored,click HERE.

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Below-right is the photo
from which the drawing (above-right) was made

To see a
comprehensive article about this vehicle,
with more photos and schematic drawings, plus
an article about its beginnings in 1895, click here.

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The ads above
and below-left show a Dos-a-Dos model,meaning passengers are seated
back-to-back. Driver and a passenger face
forward (pointing left in the
illustrations),and two passengers face
backward (pointing right).The Phaeton, which is shown in
the ad below-right, has aremovable rumble seat which
also faces to the rear -in this case, to the left
since the vehicle is heading to the right.

[Note: The Stanhope was
another model with back-to-back seating.To see a 1901 article about
the Electric Vehicle Company, which hasa photo of this automobile in
use, along with several other shotsof various Columbia cars being
driven,click here.]

The next items
show more of the Electric Runabout from several different years.
First, the 1898 model, which was depicted on a U.S. postage stamp!
(A 1901 model would also be featured in that manner, and is
shown on a later webpage, along with other Columbia taxicabs.)
Then a large ad (left) from 1899, and a small ad (right) from 1901.
(Note the link to a 1902 catalogue contained in that image.)
The catalogue-listing page which follows is from the 1900 booklet.
Then come portions of two articles - one from Time Magazine,
and the other from the Cycle and
Automobile Trade Journal -
separated by recent photos of restored vehicles.

[Note: A photo of the 1902 model (shot in 2000) appears on a later
webpage]

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[The following item is from a Time Magazine article The History of the Electric Car
dated October 11, 2007]

1903 Columbia Mark LX Electric Runabout

Photo by Brooks
Brierley

Before the electric car became the transport of tomorrow, it was the
horseless carriage of yesteryear.

At the turn of the 20th century,
electric-powered cars were more popular than their noisy, smelly,
gasoline-fired cousins,
which had to be started using a hand crank that
had a tendency to backfire.
Among the best selling, and most basic,
were the Columbia Runabouts, produced by the Hartford, Conn.,
alliance
of Pope Manufacturing and the Electric Vehicle Company.
Aside from the
Deep Space Nine-style name, the Mark LX Electric Runabout could boast a
top speed of 15 mph and a range of
about 40 miles per charge —
coincidentally the same distance Chevrolet's futuristic 2007 Volt can
cover before requiring a refreshing plug-in.

[Note: To see more about this vehicle, including several large,
close-up photos from the 2008 Chicago Auto Show,
plus a very special shot of the volts/amperes meter, click here.]

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For information and
photos of the electric vehiclesfrom the 1903 catalogue, plus
more ads andsome very special uses,click here.